


Watching From Afar

by fijke



Category: Tintenwelt-Trilogie | Inkheart Trilogy - Cornelia Funke
Genre: Age Difference, F/M, Unrequited Crush, kinda harmless, meggie's a kid folks, so she's behaving like one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 12:53:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18550147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fijke/pseuds/fijke
Summary: After seeing too many fics with Meggie/Dustfinger, this is my own take on how that paring would go.Dustfinger catches Meggie making oogly eyes at him and confronts her about it. Nothing more, nothing less.





	Watching From Afar

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place at the beginning of Inkheart, when all of them are staying at Elinor's house for the first time.

Through the window, Meggie saw Dustfinger standing in the garden, but she seemed to have come too late to watch his playing with the fire. He was already busy packing up his bottles and other utensils, shoving them into his backpack.  
For just a little longer, Meggie watched him, thinking, then she ran through the hallway, down to the backdoor of the house, where she came to a sudden halt and carefully peered around the corner into the garden.  
There he was again, bare-chested and shiny with sweat. Meggie stayed by the door while she secretly eyed him up. She still wasn’t quite sure, why she liked it so much to watch him, but whenever she did it, her breathing would suddenly speed up and her palms got all sweaty.  
Dustfinger had picked up his bag and turned to walk back to the house. Quickly, Meggie stumbled away from the door to stand by the table like an idiot. The door was pushed open and Dustfinger entered. At first, he didn’t even notice Meggie since his eyes were lowered to the ground. He closed the door behind himself, turned around and his gaze met Meggie’s. Feeling like she’d been caught in flagranti, she stared at him with big eyes. He frowned, clearly confused. “Hello.”  
“Hi.”, she stammered.  
“Everything alright?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Hm.”, he didn’t seem convinced but also not as if it interested him enough to ask further questions. Instead, he headed for the hallway, while Meggie looked after him, watching closely how the muscles in his back moved with every step. Unwittingly, she followed along to not lose sight of him. Dustfinger noticed and shot her a look over the shoulder. “What is it?”  
She blinked, taken aback. “…what?”  
“Why are you staring at me?”  
“Uhm…no, I – I wasn’t staring.”  
“Sure about that?”  
She nodded innocently.  
“Mh, I think your father wouldn’t like it if he knew you’re lying for no reason.”  
“Is it bothering you?”  
“That you’re lying? Yeah.”  
“Not that.”  
“Oh, that you’re staring at me? I’d like to know why.”  
She shrugged.  
“That’s not an answer.”  
“Am I not allowed to look at you?”  
“And that’s evasive.”  
Upset, she folded her arms over her chest. Dustfinger just rolled his eyes. “God, you’re sensitive.”  
“Yeah, well, you’re just…”, she blushed, the heat rising quickly in her cheeks.  
“I’m what?”  
“Nothing.”  
“No, go on. You were about to be honest there, didn’t you notice?”  
“You always take off your top when you play with fire.”  
Now he hesitated, avoiding to look at her for a moment. “You watch me because I’m not wearing a shirt?”  
Meggie was pretty sure all her blood had arrived in her head by now. “Is that weird?”  
“Weird…not necessarily. But – come with me for a second.”, he turned away and headed up the stairs, taking them two at a time so Meggie had to hurry to keep up. They went up to the attic where he was sleeping and once there, he dropped his bag, then immediately picked up his jumper and threw it on. Meggie tried not to let the disappointment show on her face.  
He turned towards her, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. “Listen. Watching me play with fire is all very well. Watching me _because _I do it shirtless is…borderline. Following me through the house to watch me is even worse.”__  
“I wasn’t following you.”  
“Oh no?”  
“No.”  
“You know, some people – like me – are good liars. And then there’s you and your father.”  
“You’re mean.”  
“Not my problem. When you’re watching me, why do you do that? Be honest, I won’t tell anyone.”  
“Doesn’t matter.”  
“It does.”  
“Why?”  
“Just tell me. I’ll explain afterwards.”  
She looked at him uncomfortably. His eyes were way too watchful. “I don’t know. I just like it.”  
“Only with me or with other men too? Not your father, I mean strangers.”  
“I don’t see anyone else like that.”  
“Fine, then just me. Is watching all you do or want to do?”  
“Why are you asking me all that?”  
“Later. Answer me.”  
“I don’t think about it like that. You’re just pretty and so – _oh _.”, the shock set in a moment too late, the words had already spilled out.__  
Dustfinger lowered his eyes to the ground.  
“I’m sorry.”, she muttered quickly.  
“It’s alright.”  
“Do you have a wife?”  
“What?”  
“Do you have a wife?”  
He lifted his head again, his expression now irritated. “None of your business.”  
Meggie fell silent for a moment, thinking. “Does it bother you when I watch you?”  
“Meggie…back where I’m from, girls your age get married off against their will to men twice their age. But I’ve been here long enough to know things are a little different around here and if your father or the old woman find out you’re looking after me like that, they’ll rip my head off.”  
“What’s so terrible about looking? It’s not like I’m doing anything.”  
“The point is that you’ve looking after _me _. You’re free to do that with boys your age, nobody will tut at that. But when it comes to me, you should really stop.”__  
“I don’t care about the boys my age…”, awkwardly, Meggie repeatedly kicked the ground with the tip of her shoe.  
“Oh, but a half-naked fire breather who is three times your age?”  
“Not my fault.”  
“God, you’re making it complicated.”, he walked over to his bed, dropping himself on it with his eyes closed. To say she didn’t like seeing him lie there would’ve been yet another lie. Meggie wasn’t sure where her sudden bravery was coming from, but she had no time to think about it. Her feet were already moving and she followed Dustfinger, carefully sitting down next to him.  
For another couple moments, she just looked at him lying there, then she swiftly leaned over him, wanted to kiss him, but in the last second, his hand caught her shoulder, pushing her away from him. Once again, Meggie could feel her face changing colour.  
Dustfinger opened his eyes, his brows furrowed. “Really bad idea.”  
“Why?”  
“Because”, he sat back up, letting her go. “you have no right to project your pre-pubescent feelings onto me just because you got a peek at some naked skin of mine. Okay? If you want to kiss someone, go find someone your age – and if nobody tickles your fancy, then you don’t kiss anyone. It’s that simple. And anyway, your father should have told you that long ago, I shouldn’t have to tell you that.”  
Pouting, Meggie turned away from him. “It’s my business whom I like.”  
“And the business of whomever you like.”  
“Doesn’t matter.”  
He sighed in annoyance. “Maybe that’ll make it easier for you: Yes, I do have a wife.”  
Surprised, she eyed up his face. “Seriously?”  
“Yeah.”  
“What’s her name?”  
“Roxane.”  
“That’s a weird name.”  
“Well, who am I to judge?”  
“I guess so.”, Meggie quietly plucked a piece of dandruff off the hem of her sleeve. “Is she pretty?”  
He smiled, amused. It wasn’t his usual clouded smile but a blissful one. “Oh God, yes. The most beautiful being I have ever seen.”  
“Wow.”  
He nodded as if to himself.  
It stung in Meggie’s chest how overjoyed he looked now. Jealousy was building up inside of her. “Why isn’t she traveling with you?”  
“Because she lives very far away.”  
“Where?”  
“Too far to keep in contact.”  
“Why is she your wife if you’re unable to keep in touch?”  
“Because I love her.”  
Meggie kept quiet at that. Love was something she couldn’t argue against.  
Sighing deeply, Dustfinger stood up. “You can go now. Oh, and before you get any more stupid ideas: You can definitely wait another few years before you actually fall in love with anyone. It’s too much work anyway, trust me. You can quote me on that.”  
Meggie pulled a face. “Dustfinger?”  
“Hm?”  
“Do you really not like me?”  
“You don’t like me either.”  
“What makes you think that?”  
“You’ll find out soon enough. Now get lost.”  
“Are you going to do a performance tomorrow?”  
“I don’t know yet.”  
There was a knock on the door. “Dustfinger?”, it was Mo’s voice.  
“What?”, Dustfinger said gruffly.  
The door opened and Mo stepped in, but he frowned when he noticed Meggie. “There you are. I was staring to worry.”  
“Sorry. We were just talking.”, she looked at her father, all innocently.  
“Yeah? About what?”, he seemed honestly interested.  
“Was there something you wanted?”, Dustfinger chimed in before Meggie could come up with another lie.  
“Ah, right. Could I steal you for a second?”  
“Sure.”, Dustfinger murmured and went over to the door. “And you can leave too.”, he said over his shoulder to Meggie. The men left the door open but quickly, they were out of Meggie’s view and she turned to the spot where Dustfinger’s bag was on the floor. She kneeled down next to it and opened the flap nervously. She didn’t quite know what she was looking for but as soon as her hands touched his spare clothes, her breath quickened up again and almost reverently, she lifted the crumpled-up shirt to her face, smelled it. Even though she was sure Elinor would vehemently disagree, Meggie quite liked Dustfinger’s odour, the mixture of fire, smoke and ragged forests. It was just the kind of smell Meggie always imagined the worlds in her books to be like. Close to nature, rough. The smell of adventure. She exhaled deeply, putting the shirt aside to then just sit for a moment, smiling to herself.  
“What did I just tell you?”  
She flinched when she heard the voice. Hastily, she turned around and saw Dustfinger standing in the doorway. “Unbelievable…”, he shook his head and walked over to her to grab her by the arm and pull her up to her feet. Meggie stumbled in surprise, clinging onto his shoulder to keep herself from falling. He didn’t wait for her to find her balance anyway, just put his arms around her from behind and lifted her from her feet. Meggie panted panicky, tried to fight him off but his grip was too strong. “Let me go!”  
Effortless, he carried her over to the door, where he then dropped her so suddenly that she fell to her knees, shocked.  
“Don’t do that again.”, she heard him say above her.  
“You didn’t need to be so mean.”, she muttered without looking at him.  
“Tsk…”, he squatted next to her. “Are you alright?”  
She nodded silently.  
“Good. Wouldn’t want to get into trouble with your father. Nevertheless: You don’t snoop around in other people’s stuff.”  
“I know that.”  
“Then why didn’t you act accordingly?”  
“I don’t know.”  
He sighed once more. “Do whatever you want but you’re not staying up here. Now get yourself back down there, your father is waiting for me.”  
“What does Mo want from you?”  
“Who knows, maybe the same thing you do.”  
He got up before he could see Meggie’s eyes growing twice their size in embarrassment. Hurriedly, Meggie scrambled to her feet as well and ran down the stairs before him – mostly so he wouldn’t be able to see her face.


End file.
